Silent Conversation
by Kuroneko19
Summary: One-shot. While waiting for Naru to awaken after the incident at Yoshimi Inn, Lin voices some of his frustration. But does his "audience" hear him? Hinted NxM.


_**Author's Note:**__ This little idea came to me as I was working on __**Inception**__, and took flight soon after. Taking place after the case at the Yoshimi Inn (Episode 25, The Cursed House Part 4) during the time Naru is knocked out in the hospital, Lin decides to voice some of his frustration._

_Please remember: that little button that says "Review" at the bottom of the page is the fan fiction author's friend! XD All questions, comments, constructive criticism, and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thank you so much for reading – enjoy!_

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><p><em><strong>Disclaimer: <strong>__I own nothing from __**Ghost Hunt**__. I just like to write. ^_^_

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><p><strong>Silent Conversation<br>**By Kuroneko

_"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island….to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep him is a blessing."_  
>– Baltasar Gracian<p>

Stark white walls. The whirring hospital machinery and air conditioning. The beeping of the heart monitor.

Sterile.

Inhuman.

Unwelcoming.

Lin sighed wearily as he took his seat by the window, his laptop bag hanging from a shoulder already carrying enough of a burden.

He looked at the raven-haired youth lying in the cool white sheets of the hospital bed, sounds of the Intensive Care Unit now gone as he'd been placed in a private and unlabeled room, far away from prying eyes and loud noises.

Mai Taniyama had at long last agreed to be driven home by Takigawa. It had taken a great deal encouragement from both Lin and the monk before she finally complied, not at all wanting leave but doing so anyway. She needed the rest, needed to get out before she made herself ill. Mai was so wrapped up in worrying for others that she never really looked out for her own well-being.

He could still hear her blaming herself for his charge's current condition when they'd arrived a few days prior, when the subject of their worries had been admitted into ICU.

Lin sighed again, not even bothering to take out his laptop just yet. What would be the point? He'd already finished up paperwork on the case at the Yoshimi Inn – he just needed to file it when they got back at the office.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

The only sound pervading the utter silence of the room was that infernal machine. Lin hated it. As much as he would normally appreciate the silence of the immediate vicinity in order to properly hear what he could of the environment outside, the semi-silence of a hospital quite nearly drove him mad. All it did was practically scream out his failures, point out his mistakes.

Ridicule him. Call him useless. Pointless. Worthless.

He needed a distraction.

Suddenly the laptop was out, his ritualistic typing drowning out some of the deafening silence. The intermittent beeps of the heart monitor set his rhythm while at the same time grated at his nerves. He didn't know what exactly he was typing at this point. Maybe he'd send an email to Madoka…

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

The typing stopped.

"This is your fault, you know," he told the youth lying prone on the bed. Dark eyes looked up briefly, stupidly in his opinion. Three days had passed. Noll wasn't going to wake up just yet.

"You knew better than to do something so utterly stupid, and yet you went and did it anyway." Lin sighed for the third time since entering the room and leaned back lazily, eyes still on his charge. "Sometimes I think you have a death wish.

"And maybe you do," he continued, surprised at his own words. "It wouldn't surprise me at all in fact, given everything that's happened. Your rationale for coming to this country, hiding yourself, dragging me about with all those maps of yours…

"And then you go and work yourself to death!" Lin glared at the boy, hoping he could at least _feel_ the intensity of it. "Instead of working silently, you open a paranormal investigation center to keep as a front for your _real_ intentions, and nearly commit suicide both literally and figuratively right before my eyes!"

He set his laptop aside, typing now completely forgotten. He rose and walked over to the bed, his tall form towering formidably over the pale young man. Lin's arms were crossed; he wasn't finished yet.

"Have you absolutely no idea what others feel for you?" he demanded, knowing full well he might as well have been speaking to a run-down brick wall somewhere near Shibuya Station for all the response he'd get. "Are you that oblivious to the people around you, how much they care? Or is that something the great Oliver Davis has yet to fully comprehend?"

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"The sole reason for my being here is based on how people feel. Your parents are worried about you constantly, _I _worry about you every waking moment (and _not_ just because it's my job to do so), and there's no denying Madoka's concern when it comes to her favorite student."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"And then there are the others. The ones that have become more a part of SPR than you'd intended; the ones you continuously gripe about, yet have no hesitation when it comes to calling them to helping you on a case. I suppose you still haven't figured out how they've figured out into the equation, given your clear ignorance to human emotions. Either that or you really have no _comprehending_. A person can only learn so much for books, Noll.

"Matsuzaki and Takigawa will stop an argument to listen to you. They regard you with respect, and even if they continuously gripe about the orders you give them, they will nevertheless comply. Considering how far I believe their animosity towards each other could go, I find it impressive that _anyone_ can get through to them and make them cooperate.

"Father Brown sees you in very much the same light. He admires you and respects you, but is not hesitant to ask you for assistance. I must admit that his request last Christmas had me astonished, but it became very clear to me that he certainly trusts you a great deal to have asked you to handle Kenji's spirit.

"And despite her efforts in blackmailing you, Masako Hara is also included in your little entourage. As much as you probably wouldn't want to hear about it, I believe she's become rather guilt-ridden as of late in regards to circumstances regarding her association with you. It's no longer become a matter of wheedling favors out of you, although I don't doubt for a moment that she'll refrain from _that_ anytime soon. She admires you and respects you, not only for your talents, your name, and your looks but for _you_. I may not be in favorable opinion of Miss Hara, but I can assure you that she's no longer quite the threat she'd initially posed herself as."

Lin took in a much-needed breath. Now he was getting to what he _really_ wanted to vent about. "And finally there's Mai Taniyama. Your _other_ assistant."

He let the words hang in the air for a moment.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"I can't even begin to describe to you what kind of hell that girl's been put through since you did this to yourself. For all three days you've been here, she's blamed herself despite my telling her not to, and has been forced to go home as opposed to spending the night in the hospital."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"In a way, I suppose I do blame her somewhat for this mess," he admitted, feeling a bit ashamed for doing so. "It isn't because she's Japanese – despite my disdain for the people of this country, I can no longer force myself to hate Mai Taniyama. It's her personality, and that is something about her I admire and resent at the same time. She's too kind and self-sacrificing for her own good, and her ability to attach herself to a situation bothers me to an extent. Given her track record simply working for us, I was startled to learn that she'd been living on her own. I suppose animal instinct played a role in this."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

"She knows just how to get to a person. That is a talent and curse. And the fact that she knew just how to get to _you_ is something I found to be surprising." He frowned and glared at the still-slumbering boy, vaguely wondering if Noll could even hear him.

"Why?" he asked after a moment's silence. "_Why_ did you allow her to provoke you? Why do you _continuously_ allow her to provoke you? Takigawa and Matsuzaki's incessant squabbling, Hara's blackmail – none of that has ever prodded you into doing something so incredibly stupid. All it took were heated words from one tiny brunette high school girl, and you've very nearly killed yourself.

"And it doesn't appear as though provocation is the only thing Mai Taniyama is good at! As I've become increasingly aware of, you don't seem to hesitate to throw yourself in the line of danger when it comes to her. Despite knowing very well that you are otherwise incapable of defending yourself should the need arise, you put her first. That is something I find both interesting and disturbing."

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Lin sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze was a bit softer. "I find myself wondering just what it is she means to you. Even before you were aware of her psychic abilities, you allowed her into your tiny little circle. After her came those others, whom you permitted access to as well, though not as closely as you did her. And no matter how much you attempt to distance yourself, she always seems to keep coming closer even if you haven't realized it."

He shook his head and unfolded his arms, settling his hands in his pockets. "In many ways, I find her to be a lot like Gene. And ironically, it doesn't pain me to think so. If anything, I suppose one could say it's a relief to see there are others out there who hold about them an unbreakable air of optimism."

Another sigh. His gaze hardened.

"I know you would never accept someone acting as Gene's replacement, Noll, and I wouldn't beg you to try to find someone to do such a thing. Gene held a special place for both of us, and there's no denying that we'll never be able to fill that void he left behind. However, I think that you really ought to give more consideration to Mai's placement in your anti-social circle. She cares a great deal about you, more so than a mere assistant would for her boss, I'd imagine. I could take a guess as to what it is that makes you instantly react to her the way you do, but I have a feeling you'd only resent it." He chuckled darkly. "But don't be so reluctant as to let her closer in, Noll. In the time since she's joined us, she's done a great deal to bring about a change in all of us and, despite what you might think, I believe it all to have been positive. Even if you haven't noticed it yourself, you've matured on a different path than what your parents, Madoka, and I all feared. And it's all because of Mai and the people she's managed to bring with her."

Lin ran a hand through his inky black locks and allowed a small smile to grace his features. "For the longest time, I only thought you'd react to anything Gene did. Finding that there's someone else in this world that can provoke you in such away is worrisome, true, but it's a relief in its own way. What this spells out for you in the future, however, is something you'll have to figure out on your own. But remember this: you are cold and impersonal. You treat them all as if they are lesser beings and have a tendency forget their emotions, myself included in this instance. And yet we remain stubbornly by your side, perhaps some of us more so than others. It would do you some good to come to grips with this reality."

He stood in the center of the room, feeling slightly winded by his impromptu speech. Lin could not recall the last time he'd spoken so much – remaining taciturn and detached from others in general was his resolve. He was actually somewhat astonished at have discovered he'd talked well over five minutes. Madoka would laugh in cheer if she were in the vicinity.

Of course, had Madoka been there, _she_ would have unleashed an angry tirade at her unconscious pupil while Lin would have sat quietly in the corner of the room, typing away as usual.

As Lin made his way back to the chair and his abandoned laptop, he couldn't help but notice that the tense atmosphere seemed to have lifted. He no longer felt quite so burdened and weary with his job. Had going on an uncharacteristic tirade really helped that much?

He sat, placing his laptop over his legs. His fingers were poised over the keys, ready to type out a quick email to Madoka…

Before another thought occurred to him. He looked up over the laptop screen.

"Again, you are an idiot for allowing yourself to be provoked and acting upon it. At the very least, show some consideration for the rest of us before succumbing to your pride. A bruised ego won't hurt quite so badly, I assure you."

And with that, Lin proceeded to type.

**…**

There are moments in life when a person wonders, even if only for an evanescent moment, if they are able to promote a change in events in their life. A kind word, a well-intended lecture, or even a reprimanding swat to bring another person to attention – if anything ever affected another person enough to make a difference.

Lin Koujo doubted very much that, aside from his vigilant training, he would truly have an impact on his young charge's life or even attitude. The already bitter and moody teen had become even more introverted and cold in the course of recent events, and the Chinese man feared there was little to nothing he could do to slow the slowly degrading future prospects of the boy.

And so it was that on the day Kazuya "Naru" Shibuya finally awoke to find Mai Taniyama and Masako Hara at his bedside, the other members of Shibuya Psychic Research present as well, Lin found it hard not to drop the book he was reading upon hearing his charge say, "I'm sorry."

This simple and often abused statement was met with shock and soon laughter, alleviating the sterile and impersonal atmosphere of the hospital room.

It was during their simultaneous outburst of relief over his recovery that Naru caught Lin's eye. While the youth's face held no emotion, Lin could read quite clearly in the stormy blue eyes what it was his charge wanted to convey:

He'd actually heard him and listened to him.

Well… how about that.

Nobody noticed the small smile that briefly flitted on Lin's face before he went back to his reading. They'd all become too engrossed in watching Mai fuss over Naru as he attempted to sit up.

Oddly, Naru wasn't complaining. Much.


End file.
